McGrath's grip sends Fleming down order

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Australian paceman Glenn McGrath believes his psychological grip
on New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has reached the point where
"I've felt like I could knock him over every ball", similar to his
past strangleholds over Michael Atherton and Brian Lara.

After McGrath's recent dominance over Fleming forced the New
Zealanders, 1-0 down in the series, into a major batting overhaul
ahead of the third Test, the world's top-ranked bowler was adamant
Australia's policy of targeting the opposition captain was paying
dividends.

Fleming's dismal series average of nine has prompted his
demotion from the top of the order to No. 4, with uncapped batsman
James Marshall to bat in the uncustomary role of opener. It is
believed Marshall and the more experienced Hamish Marshall will
become the first set of identical twins to play alongside each
other in a Test.

To accommodate Fleming's slide down the order, out-of-sorts
all-rounder Craig McMillan was dropped from New Zealand's side for
the third Test, completing a series of selection changes that,
according to McGrath, count as a major psychological victories for
the Australian side.

"That's the way the Windies used to work in the mid-'80s -
target the captain and give him a bit of a workover," said McGrath,
who has trapped Fleming lbw three times in this series.

"I think it's just added pressure, especially when he's the
captain and the team's not playing as well as he would have
liked."